Facing Death
by S.R. Sombini
Summary: As head of security, Alice knew the four digit number. What if she had remembered it in time? Would getting the right amount of anti-virus 15 minutes early have helped Rain? Open for possible Alice/Rain in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: don't own.

* * *

Rain fell into the chair, arms slumping with the weight of the axe.

"I can give you the code, but first you must do me a favor."

"Shove your favor, we know the code," Alice all but snarled at the computer, pushing Matt aside none too gently. Having watched Spence type it into the keypad on the briefcase, it came back to her in perfect clarity.

0-9-8-1

The light flashed green, and with a whoosh of air, the door opened. Alice looked between both shelves, before pulling a briefcase closer to her. She slid open the sealed glass door containing the green concoctions, and cleaned out all of the vials, setting them into the padded area of the case. Ignoring the blue vials, she shut the door again, keeping out the needle, loading one of the vials as she crossed the room over to Rain.

"Hold on, you're gonna be okay."

Rain blinked tiredly at the blonde, nodding weakly. She wasn't sure if she believed Alice's words, but she was getting too tired to care. She hardly felt the poke of the needle at her arm, nor the after affects of the injection.

"That won't be enough."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, turning to the computer monitor. There was a sense of irritation in the A.I's tone.

"Each vial of anti-virus matches just one application of the T-virus. My sensors have determined that your friend was bitten more than once, as she is infected on multiple levels."

Alice let out a breath of frustration.

"How many times were you bitten? Total," she asked, keeping her tone soft.

"Five," Rain answered after a moment of thought, voice thick with fatigue. Just as quickly, Alice injected four more dosages of the cure into her dark haired friend. Rain's eyes squeezed shut as she leaned back.

She could feel the anti-virus fighting the infection, her veins burned as though they were filled with a liquid fire. She never noticed when she whimpered, but when she came to nearly a minute later, a loud thumping registered in her brain.

She opened her eyes, looking for the commotion. Though she was still beyond tired, she felt as though she had just had a power nap; more aware and energized than she had been before the power down.

The Licker was slamming itself against the window, and it was slowly cracking outward.

"Open the door!"

"I cannot do that. There is no guarantee that the cure will work. You must dispose of your infected companion before I can allow you to leave."

"Screw that," Matt argued with the computer.

"Open the door!"

"I won't."

At some point when she was out Alice had grabbed the axe. She swung it over her head wildly, catching the side of the monitor, breaking it into many pieces. There was a moment of confusion before all the lights went out and the slamming stopped.

"What the-"

The door clicked open, and Alice spun, holding the axe out defensively. A bloodied hand grabbed at the door, pulling it open further.

"Kap?"

Rain's raspy voice broke the silence. Alice and Matt jumped at it, not noticing she had come around.

"The bitch wouldn't let me in, so I had to fry her ass."

Alice emitted something between a laugh and a gasp, while Matt bent down to help Rain up and over to the stairs. The group was startled when a loud thump cracked the glass further.

"Shit. We have to go."

Another jump, and the Licker broke through the window, landing in the lab with a huge splash of water. The three rushed out of the door, as Kaplan shut it behind him, leaning against it. The weight of the experiment jolted the door, but the metal barrier held.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"I'll explain later, let's move."

Though she was still a bit woozy, Rain declined Matt's aid, instead waiving him over to Kaplan as she made her way semi-quickly after the blonde. Alice set a fast pace, and the group made quick time of getting to the train.

Kaplan disappeared into the engine room, as Rain and Matt entered the main one, the 'cop', for Rain did not know what he really was yet, putting the large case of the anti-virus down on the floor. Alice appeared a moment later with the other suitcase, and Rain took in her shaken up appearance.

Her dress and hair were still damp, but she looked ready to keep pushing. The blonde set the bigger case, it was mostly foam and did not have nearly as much of the experiments in it that the other did, next to the brown one, before letting herself relaxed.

"We're out of here," Kaplan shouted back, and Matt quickly shut the door of the train, as they took off speeding down the tracks.

"One hell of a morning, huh?" He asked the two women, leaning against the far wall of the train.

Rain laughed mirthlessly, feeling as though she could cry at the fate of her team.

"You can say that again," Alice answered for the pair. With her memory fully intact, she was confused. Spence had been one of her good friends for many years, and though it was a bitter departure, a part of her was still heartbroken at his death.

Matt bit his lip, thinking about his sister.

"Yeah," he said quietly, turning away from the pair. He grabbed the needle and a vial of the anti-virus from the suitcase, going to the front room where Kaplan was.

"You feeling better?"

Rain turned at the blonde's question.

"I've been better." At Alice's pointed look, she continued. "Yes."

"We'll leave it there."

Blue-green eyes studied the Latino woman intently.

"You look better. Getting some color back."

The smaller woman ran her tongue along her bottom row of teeth.

"Yay," her dry tone left no room for confusion.

"It'll get better." _It has to_, Alice left that last part unspoken.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

The Licker had somehow found its way out of the lab and to the dark tunnel that they were currently careening down at a very dangerous speed. Its elongated claws tore through the metal car, as though it were paper. The power behind the experiment's swipe was enough to throw Matt to the floor of the train. A commotion from the front cab turned their attention, and Rain choked back her gasp when Kaplan suddenly disappeared from the previously existing door.

Thankfully at that point, Matt had recovered fast enough to shut the door from the driver's cabin to the main one. The trio followed the sounds of the Licker's advances on the roof of the car, which spurred Matt into action. He sprinted the length of the car, slamming the back door shut, latching it.

It held for a few seconds. Rain, still unsteady on her feet from the virus and anti-virus, was thrown against the front wall of the train car, as Alice and Matt worked in what she later considered to be a very unorthodox team.

"Shut the door!"

Rain had managed to upright herself, leaning heavily on the wall behind her. The flames from the tracks below made her wince as she turned away from the sight and heat.

What a conveniently placed button_,_ she reflected dryly for just a moment, before she slammed her hand onto it. The doors closed, and the flaming, death infected, former rabbit was left behind, as they sped away.

"Holy shit," it was Matt who voiced all their thoughts, as Rain let her body slide along the wall and to the floor.

"Rain! Rain, are you okay?"

Alice's hand was on her face, cupping her cheek gently as she studied the darker woman. With a moment of energy, Rain attempted to pull away. Alice was not having it however.

"I'm fine. Exhausted but fine."

Her voice was hoarse, seeing the last member of her squad get torn away from her like he had was enough to round out her morning.

"Don't worry. We're almost out of here," Alice said, unwavering.

The confidence did make Rain feel the slightest bit better, but she had this sinking feeling that it was not over yet.

The computer driven train started to slow, before pulling to a halt right outside the station under the mansion. Alice helped Rain to stand, before grabbing the second suitcase. Stiffly Rain made her way right behind the only other survivors. A large, illuminated digital clock was stationed next to the door.

Fifteen seconds.

Finding energy somewhere, Rain managed to slowly jog up the stairs, stepping through the barricade doors just as they started shutting. She looked back until it was finally shut, sealing the morning of doom and death behind her. Turning around she started towards the front door of the mansion, just in time to see Alice collapse against the wall.

"I failed. I failed them all."

"No. No you didn't," Matt gently argued with the blonde.

"I did. This is all my fault."

"None of this is your fault."

"Yeah," Rain said dryly, leaning heavily against the door frame. "This is all because of that bastard."

None of them needed clarification of who exactly she was talking about.

"If it wasn't for him," Rain started, her long forgotten anger coming back with a vengeance. "The virus would never have been released. The fucking computer would not have gone into lock down. We wouldn't have been sent in. They wouldn't have-"

She cut herself off suddenly, not able to bring up her lost teammates quite yet.

"Umbrella is the only one to-" Matt stumbled for a moment, and neither woman noticed the painful muscle spasm in his arm. "Blame. It's all- on them. You-"

He gasped.

"Matt?"

Alice's voice was choked, as Matt let out a shout of pain, rolling onto his back as he gripped his upper arm tightly. Rain fell to the floor next to Alice.

"Shit man, why didn't you say something sooner?" Rain chastised the faux-cop, seeing the three long gashes on his arm.

"We're not loosing you, too, Matt," Alice added said forcefully, as she opened the metal case, fumbling with a vial of the anti-virus. Before she could put it into the needle gun, however, the doors were thrown open, as white light spilled into the previously dark entryway.

"What's happe-"

Alice got to her feet, her stance screaming for the white donned men to back off. In her exhausted state, Rain felt helpless when another scientist pushed her away from Matt, before two of them carried him out. Alice was not so willing to let him go however, as she continued to fight off the suited people, calling out to her recently found friend.

"MATT!"

"He's mutating. I want him in the Nemeses program."

Getting to her feet as fast as she could, Rain went to back up Alice, but there were just too many of them. Alice's attention was finally yanked from Matt as she zoned in on the commotion next to her.

"No, Rain," rather hopelessly, she continued to fight off the quickly multiplying Umbrella personnel. "Rain!"

Her hand reached out, grasping for something just out of her reach. Pushing weakly against the arms restraining her, Rain reached for the blonde as well. Their fingers were just centimeters from each other when she felt the sting of a needle at her throat, and what little adrenaline she had managed to scrounge up disappeared with the injection. She collapsed into the arms of one of the suited men, faintly noticing that Alice had called her name again.

"It looks like this one's been bitten."

"Put them both in quarantine. I want them under close surveillance, around the clock. I want full blood tests; we have to find out if they're infected. Then get a team together. We're going to open the hive and see what happened down there."

Rain wanted to be able to talk more than ever. No, she would tell them. You can't do that. All desires of that slowly left her mind as the white world faded to black.

* * *

So, I have never read any of the books (but it's on my agenda!), and I've played only the first game, once or twice when I was much younger, and it first came out. Uhm, I've seen all the movies (but only pretty recently) which I absolutely love. Don't even ask me why, I have no idea… I generally hate sci-fi films and books and stuff. Odd, innit? Anyhow, I can't guarantee when I update this next, but look for it, yeah? Peace.

-Shannon Riley


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Alice noticed, as she pushed through the haze of being drugged, was the pain. Her muscles had completely cramped up, the sharp pain jolting her body. As she pushed herself off the table, doing her best despite the pain, her legs gave out, as though they were jelly. It took a moment for her to fully compose herself and her new surroundings, and slowly she managed to get to her feet. A large two way mirror was on the wall in front of her, and she made her way to it in a disjointed walk.

She slammed her hand against the surface, calling out to anyone who might have been able to hear.

No response.

Turning back to the table, she grabbed one of the needles she had pulled from her own body, before disabling the door lock. The halls of the hospital were empty, eerily so. Seeing a closet, she grabbed a large coat, wrapping herself in it before studying the hall, faintly remembering the scientist's words from that morning. If both her and Rain had been put in close observation, then it only made sense that the other woman was in this same vicinity.

If she had been saved, that was.

She moved down the hall, looking into each room as she passed it. Only a handful down from her own, and across the hall, she found what she was looking for.

Rain looked much better than she had when Alice last saw her, although maybe that was just because of the white of the room that surrounded her. It also appeared that whatever system function that stopped the drugs pumping in her own body had not affected the computers that displayed Rain's stats. It took only a minute, but Alice's knowledge of Umbrella's computer security system let her break into their database, and stop the sedatives that were being pumped into her friend. Knowing it would take several minutes to affect the darker woman, Alice searched out something more for clothes, coming across a pair of scrubs that had been on a supply cart several paces down the hall.

Rain was stirring as Alice got back, and the blonde made quick work on the other lock, pushing open the door and moving to Rain's side.

The Latino woman was groaning in pain, as she drowsily surveyed the room around her.

"Wh-" her voice was slurred, as she stopped, perhaps to think of what she wanted to ask first.

"We're in the Raccoon City Hospital, I think," Alice said softly. "But something's wrong. Very wrong. We need to go."

Blinking in confusion, Rain squinted at the face next to her.

"Alice?"

"I got you some scrubs. They were all that I could find."

It still did not seem to make sense to the other woman, but after a moment she allowed Alice to help her into the clothes.

Slowly the pair made their way out of the hospital, relieved at not being alone.

Although the relief did not last long. Stepping onto the usually crowded main street of Raccoon City, they froze. Cars were abandoned, the city in disarray. Slowly Alice made her way down the stairs, staring at the destroyed city that surrounded her. A police cruiser was one of the first cars she came to, and after looking into it, she was relieved to find a rifle, which she immediately retrieved.

"What are we gonna do?"

Rains question broke the otherwise silent world around them.

"We need to find some clothes first," Alice said. "And weapons."

Definitely weapons, they both agreed internally. Rain kept Alice's pace, as she moved through the maze of cars with confidence, stopping occasionally to see if there was anything worth looting. After hitting gold with one more police car, they continued on. It was Alice who first broke the silence.

"How are you feeling?"

It was a moment before Rain answered.

"Whatever they gave me really messed with my head. Everything's still kind of fuzzy," she started. "But other than that, like new."

There was an undertone of sarcasm that Alice could not miss on the statement.

"Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."

"What do you think happened here?"

Alice paused at a cross road, looking in either direction.

"I don't know. But something tells me it has to do with what happened down in the Hive."

She started down the street heading west, and after a moment Rain followed.

"I think I knew that you'd say that," she said, catching up quickly to her companion. "I just also hoped I was wrong."

Night set in quickly as they made their way through the town. Alice steered them towards a small shop on the left - a surplus clothing store, but also a collectors shop.

"Hello?"

Silence answered them green-blue met dark brown as the two women shared a look.

Alice was the first to make her way into the store, and after a moment Rain followed, pausing to wedge a chair in the door.

It couldn't hurt to be safe. She made her way towards the clothing racks, sifting through her options with disinterest. She finally decided on a pair of black cargo pants, a long sleeved red shirt, and a black vest. She was relieved to see that there was a small underclothes section - mainly advertising the versatility of the 90/10 nylon/spandex fabric, but she wasn't going to complain at this point. She quickly changed, sliding the vest over her shirt before a small gasp of pain drew her attention to the back corner of the store.

"Alice?"

Rain moved deftly through the racks of clothes, stopping short when she saw the blonde on the ground, twitching in agony.

"Alice!"

The brunette was at her side in a moment, lost on what to do, as her first aid training was minimal at best. Thankfully after only another minute, whatever fit Alice was experiencing stopped, and the blonde was left out of breath.

"What happened?"

When the blonde had calmed her breathing, several minutes later, she slowly shook her head.

"I don't know," the blonde stuttered. "I think they did something to me in there...I don't feel normal anymore."

Rain stared at the blonde in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I feel alright now."

Rain helped Alice to her feet, making sure the blonde could stand on her own.

"Are you almost set?"

Rain blinked at the question.

"I just need shoes."

Alice nodded, slinging the rifle over her shoulder again, as if nothing had just happened. After hesitation, Rain made her way to the small footwear display, looking at it in disappointment before settling on a pair of dark leather-ed Timberland's, looking through the many boxes until she found her size. Grabbing a pair of socks, she quickly put on the boots and laced them up. She made her way back to the front of the store, where she found Alice studying the assortment of knives though the glass.

"What are you thinking?" Rain asked, leaning against the counter next to her.

"How are you on ammo?"

Rain's hand went to her hip, where a standard Umbrella-issued Colt was holstered. Thought never her first choice, she had trained intensely with such a weapon, and knew it well. They had scavenged it from one of the police cars they had passed.

"Both mags are full."

"That's sixteen rounds?"

Rain nodded.

"Yeah."

"We don't have many slugs for the rifle," the blonde added. There was a pause of silence before Alice moved suddenly, slamming one elbow onto the counter top.

The glass shattered. The sudden sound jolted Rain, but she managed to control her outward reaction.

"Take your pick. We definitely need to find more guns, but until then it wouldn't hurt to have backup," Alice explained, as she picked out a pair of matching throwing knives. Testing the weight, she nodded her approval, quickly managing to fit them onto her outfit. Rain reached though the shards of glass, grabbing a large combat knife that folded into itself. She clipped it at the waist of her pants.

"So how we gonna get our hands on weapons?"

Alice thought for a moment.

"I have an idea," she said slowly. "But it's only a possibility."

Rain looked around to the dark store.

"I think all we have left are possibilities," she admitted for the first time. Alice's piercing gaze studied her for a moment.

"That's probably true. Follow me."

They made their way out of the store, feeling just a little less lost than they had previously. Though not a frequent visitor of the city, Rain quickly realized where Alice was headed. Two blocks later they stared up at the ominous building that loomed over them. The Raccoon City Police Department had definitely seen better days. Most of the windows were either cracked, or full out shattered, and the door looked like it had been blown right off the hinges.

"Are you sure about this?" Rain studied the building warily, and Alice shot her a sideways glance.

"How many other choices have we got?" Alice replied in kind. "They have an arms room for both the entire PD, and the city's S.T.A.R.S unit."

"Good point," Rain agreed finally, looking to the building once more. "Well... you only need two people to clear a room," she added lightly, before her training kicked in. Grabbing the Colt, she quickly made her way up to the door, stepping behind the brick wall that surrounded the frame. Fatal funnel her mind supplied readily.

Alice had staggered herself behind Rain, holding the rifle at what the brunette immediately recognized as a 'low ready' stance. Good. She did know something about urban warfare.

Holding up one hand, Rain let it drop, and Alice maneuvered easily around the brunette, sweeping the room with both the rifle and her eyes. Rain was in right after the blonde, stepping to the other side of the door frame as she gave the room a once over as well.

"Empty," Alice was the first to speak, keeping her voice hushed. Rain nodded.

"You know where that room's kept?"

Alice nodded, motioning for Rain to follow her. Like the rest of the city they'd encountered thus far, the police station seemed to be empty, as they cleared each room leading to the small, well secured armory at the back of the building. Nevertheless, Rain still kept guard as Alice quickly broke into the room and started sifting through the array of weapons. It was nearly ten minutes later when she returned.

"Happy birthday," she said dryly, placing an MP5K on the counter next to Rain. The brunette's face lit up, for the first time in a while, at the familiar sight. Her's was long gone, lost this morning at some point during their escape from the underground facility. Two hundred-round magazines, fully loaded, accompanied it.

"Thanks," she said, hoping that the blonde would not be offended at her curt reply. Alice did not seem to notice as she made a second trip into the room. Holstering the Colt, she put a magazine into the sub-machine gun, grinning at the familiar sound. Another Colt, as well as four more loaded magazines, joined her new collection.

Alice herself had grabbed two Sigs, each with an extra magazine, two matching machine guns, and more slugs for the rifle. It was then that Rain realized that Alice felt more comfortable with many weapons, as opposed to herself, who was more than secure with only one and a backup.

The blonde was arming up as if she were about to face an entire army alone. After a moment of contemplation, Rain figured she probably had the right idea, as she looked back up to the dark room.

Still empty but for the pair.

It was nearly twenty minutes later that both former Umbrella employees made their way cautiously out of the police station, looking around the three way intersection, trying to determine which direction would be best.

"There's a parking garage, about three blocks that way," Alice nodded ahead of them. "There has to be something there we can use."

"Well then, let's go."

They made it to the garage in good time, and Alice had been right. They came across two motorcycles almost immediately, and figured they would be the best choice to maneuver through the countless wreckage that was now the city.

It was Alice who lead the way. They had been driving for only fifteen minutes before the blonde pulled up short, turned towards a large church that was nearly a block down the way.

"What's up?" Rain called over the engines. Alice shook her head, pointing to the large structure. There were countless numbers of infected people, banging and clawing at the door.

"There's something in that building. Like that monster from the lab."

Rain shuttered as she remembered the Licker, a sense of dread filling her at the thought of more.

A scream carried over to them, followed by several gun shots.

"And there are people too," Rain unnecessarily pointed out, not liking where this was headed. "Uninfected."

"We gotta-"

"I know."

She pressed her lips together, looking from Alice to the church. A large semi, which at one point had been transporting cars, was stopped at just the right angle to propel them through the stained glass window, if they could get enough momentum.

Alice was already driving down the street, in the opposite direction. After a moment Rain followed suit. Alice had flipped the visor on her helmet opened, studying the brunette as she lined up her red bike directly next to the blonde's silver one.

Rain couldn't see the smile on her companion's face, but her eyes expressed plenty.

"I'll race you there," the green-blue eyes sparked as they teased her. Revving the engine, as she held the clutch, Rain didn't speak to answer the challenge. With a laugh, Alice flicked her face shield down once again.

Five seconds later they were driving full speed to the truck.

* * *

So, next will be the second part of Apocalypse, only cause I already an idea in my head for after it...it will start to be more original then. After the next one, it'll be a handful of chapters until Extinction, which I don't have planned out at all, so yeah. That's when the updates will grow apart. What can I say, I'm a busy kid. And yes, I changed where they got the guns from... I mean, how many surplus stores have a fully stocked weapons display? Seriously.

- Shannon Riley


	3. Chapter 3

Rain could have easily lived without the people from the church she decided, trailing behind them as the now group of five made their way through the cemetery. The female cop was stubborn as hell, and snarky to boot, the reporter was downright irritating, and the male cop... well Rain had to admit that, so far, he didn't seem to be all that bad for company.

Except for the being infected part. Which made him the worst of the bunch, in her opinion.

So lost in thought was she that when the reporter started screaming, she nearly opened fire right there.

"You've got to be kidding me," she heard Alice mutter, before kicking into action. One infected clawed it's way out of a grave behind Rain, who was taken by surprise when it moved right past her, heading for Peyton. After a second, she pulled out one of the Colt's, a bullet finding it's way right into the base of the dead man's skull. At the sound of a shot, the man spun, staring in surprise at how close it had gotten to him. He looked up to Rain for a second, taking in the Latino woman's angered expression, gun still smoking.

There were entirely too many undead for them to fight off, considering the fact that they were in a graveyard. But that didn't stop Alice from trying, as the blonde expertly attacked anything that got within a ten foot radius of her. She was not the only one fighting, however, noting that Rain had re-holstered the gun and had resorted to using her hands, and the blade, like the rest of the group. With the exception of Terri, everyone was holding their own.

"There's too many of them," Alice's voice rang over the moans of the undead. "We have to move."

"Let's go," Jill said, helping support Peyton. Terri hurried after the group, as Rain brought up the rear, Colt once again out and at the ready as she looked left and right, searching for anything waiting to ambush them. Thankfully they made their way out of the sea of infected, and back to the normal part of the city.

"Those were some pretty slick moves back there."

Jill's voice finally broke the tense silence.

"I'm good. But even I'm not that good," she said, giving Alice a hard look, her tone anything but friendly. Rain picked up her speed slightly, ready to defend her friend if necessary.

Alice took the unspoken accusation in stride however.

"Be thankful for it."

"What do you mean?"

The blonde paused, turning to face Jill straight on.

"Umbrella... they did something to me," Alice spoke quietly, and Jill stopped as well, studying her with her head tilted. "I don't know what, but I barely even feel human anymore."

There was a moment of tense silence, broken by the sudden ring of the payphone. Everyone in their group jumped.

"We gotta move. The sound could attract something," Alice said suddenly, her moment of self reflection over as she started away.

The next phone they came to started to ring as well, as did the following one. Eventually Alice moved forward, picking it up.

"Who is this?"

A pause while someone spoke on the other side.

"Do we have a choice?"

It was several minutes of listening before Alice gave a gruff "Deal" and hung up.

"We gotta find a place to talk," she said finally, turning to the rest of them. They started off, back to the street. They were thankful to find a city bus, still intact, but abandoned in the middle of the it. Perfect.

Once they were securely in the bus, it was Rain who asked the question everyone had in their mind.

"Who was that?"

"His name's Doctor Ashford," Alice started, taking a seat. "He's head of the Advanced Genetics and Viral Research Division, for the Umbrella Corporation. He has a way to get us out of the city."

Rain's eyes narrowed.

"What's the catch?" she asked, suspicious of the whole idea.

"His daughter, Angela. She's stuck in the city. Umbrella was supposed to evacuate her, but they never made it out. She's hiding out in her school."

"So? What are we supposed to do?"

Alice graced her friend with the smallest of smirks, giving Rain a once over.

"We find her, he'll get all of us outside of the perimeter."

"No fucking deal," Peyton argued. "My vote? We find the building with the thickest walls, and barricade ourselves. Wait for backup."

Both Rain and Alice turned towards the man, looking at him as though he were stupid. Seriously, that was all he could come up with?

"There won't be any backup," Alice said, her tone even. "Ashford says that Umbrella knows they've lost control of the infection. So, as soon as the sun hits, they're wiping it clear off the face of this earth. Raccoon City will be completely sanitized."

As if wanting to hit some dramatic note, the blonde suddenly cocked the rifle.

"What do you mean by sanitized?" Terri asked, not understanding.

"Precision Tactical Nuclear Device."

Rain's shoulders dropped despondently at the information.

"What yield?" Jill asked, almost in disbelief.

"Five kilotons."

If at all possible, Rain felt even more hopeless at that. Jill let out a breathless, humorless laugh, mirroring Rain's sentiments exactly.

"Fuck me."

"I still don't get it," Terri spoke again. "What does all that mean?"

"It means that it'll destroy the infection," here Alice couldn't stop the laugh of irony that escaped her, "and all evidence of it."

Rain could tell that the knowledge of exactly what was supposed to happen was starting to sink in.

"That's bullshit. There's no way they'll get away with it, it'll be the front page, the top story, of every news station in the country."

"Not if there's a cover story," Terri argued quietly. Before she had been a news reporter, she had fantasized about being one, and she knew the industry inside and out. Sure, there may be skeptics out there, but if the story was convincing enough, anything could make the headlines and turn the population's opinion around.

Alice was nodding grimly.

"And it's already prepared. A meltdown at the nuclear power plant."

"Just another tragic accident," Terri added, less fazed about Umbrella's devious plan than anything else that had happened this evening.

Peyton still refused to believe them.

"Not even Umbrella would do that. They can't pull that off."

Rain once again looked at the man, confused as to if he really believed that, or if he was just so stupid. After a moment she decided it was the second.

"Umbrella? Not able to?" it was Jill who spoke up, trying to drill some sense into her partner. "Peyton, you were there. At the gates. You know damn well what Umbrella is capable of. This is nothing."

"So what do we do?" Peyton asked, after struggling to his feet.

"I vote on getting as far away from this city as possible," Rain said before anyone else could answer. Alice was nodding in agreement.

"As soon as possible," the blonde added, for good measure.

"Where's that school?" Terri asked finally.

"A bit of a hike, on the east side of town, probably twenty blocks or so."

"Dammit," Peyton cursed.

"Let's get moving then," Rain ignored him, turning to look outside of the bus. So far so clear. They made it several blocks to an overpass, successfully avoiding any of the infected.

"What if there really is no way out of the city?" Jill asked, with frustration. "What if he's just watching us from all these cameras, like some sort of sick, twisted game."

"What would you rather do?" Rain snapped finally, tired of the complaints. "Sit in one place and wait to die, or move forward with at least a slight hope of living to see tomorrow?"

Jill was effectively silenced at the Latino woman's words, unable to pose an argument against it.

They stopped short as Alice froze, looking off the bridge to the impound lot below.

"What is it?"

"What's going on?"

Alice put out her hand.

"Just wait."

"Like hell. The sun ain't gonna wait."

"No," Alice said, not budging. "There's something down there."

Rain stiffened at those words, dreading what they could mean coming from the blonde.

"Where?" Jill asked, squinting into the smoke that seemed to permeate the entire city as of late.

Alice pointed.

"There," she said, as though it were obvious.

"I don't see anything," Peyton denied. Rain was not so quick to dismiss the blonde however, she knew firsthand just how spot on Alice generally was with almost anything concerning Umbrella.

"That doesn't alter the fact that there is... something down there."

It was said with finality.

"Fuck this shit. I'm getting sick of it, all of it."

Peyton pushed past the blonde in frustration, undaunted at any possible threat. As soon as he cleared their small group, the area was lit up with rounds. The man took several before going down, hard. Jill stared at her partner in shock for only a moment before hysteria took her.

"No!" she shuffled away from the group, firing at the unseen target. Gunshots rang into the night again, as Jill leaned heavily against the side of a taxi cab, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"Nemesis," Alice breathed, a spark of recognition jolting her with surprise. "Rain, Nemesis!"

The brunette frowned at her friend's words, not understanding.

"Get them out of here," Alice ordered. "Run, now. Go."

The blonde pushed the Latino woman away from her, turning slowly to look off the bridge. Rain ushered the reporter and the former S.T.A.R.S operative away, looking over her shoulder just in time to see Alice launch herself over the guardrail. Both Terri and Jill hurried away from the scene, but Rain stared in wonder, before noticing Peyton's body stirring.

She was thankful that her single gunshot mixed in with the rest from the firefight, as Peyton's body once again fell to the cement, a single bullet wound smack in the middle of his forehead. Turning, Rain ran after the other two, finding them near a truck. Jill, still shaking, was trying to, unsuccessfully, jump start the silver Dodge. Rain watched as she jumped when Terri opened the other door, before resting her forehead on the steering wheel, trying to make herself calm down.

Rain calmly made her way to the pair, overhearing the conversation as she drew closer.

"Look, I'm sorry about your friend."

She saw Jill shoot the reporter an odd look that she couldn't name.

"Whatever. Let's just get to the school and find this kid."

The car finally came to life, and Jill sighed with relief that something finally went right.

The cop jumped again as she heard Rain approach, gun drawn, hand on the trigger. Though probably unnecessary, Rain approached with both hands up. As soon as the other brunette recognized her, she let them drop.

"Get in."

Rain did not object the order, sliding into the back seat before shutting the door behind her. The car was filled with a tense silence, as Rain quietly studied her two companions. Terri looked like she wanted to say something, but either could not figure out what it was or work up the nerve to actually speak. The reporter turned back to the road in front of them, straightening in her seat suddenly.

"Stop!"

Jill braked heavily at the shout.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot. I swear, I'm not one of them - hey!" the man pulled up short, recognizing Jill from earlier. "Hey, you remember me? Look, I haven't been bitten or nothing!"

The guy looked ready to strip if it would get him off the street. Though reluctant, Jill jerked a nod to the back seat.

"Get in," she sounded more annoyed than anything. Rain shifted across the seat, to accommodate their newest member.

"Lloyd Jefferson Wayne," the man greeted the group of ladies. "But you can call me L.J, on account of the informal situation."

Rain refrained impulse to hit her head against the window of the truck. Clearly things _could_ still get worse.

As Terri quickly surmised the situation for L.J, Rain sat back to study the driver of the truck. Jill was still tense, and on edge, but seemed to be rationalizing with herself. The rest of the trip to the school was quick, and Jill pulled right up to the front steps before letting the engine die. They all climbed out of the truck, only Rain hesitated for a moment, looking at the van that they had pulled right up in front of.

It was the K-9 unit of the police department. Rain circled around the van, stopping behind it at the sight of the bloodied, mutilated cages. She looked from the van to the school, where the other three were quickly making their way to. Her hand went straight to the machine gun, as she gripped it tightly, bracing herself for what she could only imagine to be inside.

Whatever it was, she was sure it wasn't a good thing.

She ran up the stairs, entering the building right behind the rest. Jill sidestepped around the front entrance hall, finally deciding that they were in the clear for the moment.

"We should split up," the cop said finally.

Although she knew the idea was the worst possible thing they could ever do, Rain admitted that there was no other way they would clear the school in good time. They were on a very tight schedule, after all.

"No way," Terri argued immediately. "I'm not going through this place by myself."

"Don't worry. I could go with you," L.J offered, and Rain rolled her eyes. She, personally, would definitely feel safer by herself, if that were the case.

"You take the left wing of this floor," Jill took order, nodding her head at L.J. "You, take the second floor," she held out a Sig for the reporter, who was slow to accept it.

"I've never shot a gun before."

"There's nothing to it," Jill said, not very reassuring. "Try to shoot them in the head," she added with an innocent look. Rain snorted at her clear mocking of the other woman. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

"And you," Jill turned her attention to the last person of their group. "Cover the right wing."

When first built, the school had been one main building. Over the years, classes had been added to both the left and the right side of the first floor, lengthening it. Without even arguing, Rain started off, the semi raised, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Faintly she heard the others do the same. She was clearing through another classroom about twenty minutes later, having had no luck, when the sound of footsteps passed her door. Moving silently, she had her finger on the trigger as she traced the source.

She recognized Jill almost instantly, even without seeing her face. The smaller figure next to her, however, was a new one.

"You found her then?"

Her voice was quiet, not wanting to stir anything that could be close by. Jill visibly jumped, spinning around with her Sig pointed directly at Rain, as she stepped in front of the girl. It was the second time in under an hour, and Rain simply quirked an eyebrow at the brunette's response.

"Yeah. Terri's gone though. We have to find L.J."

Rain deflated at this, but made her way down the hall to fall in step beside them. The little girl looked up at the woman, studying her with curiosity.

"I'm Angie," she offered after a moment, and Rain was surprised at how calm she seemed to be with the whole situation.

"Rain," she introduced herself, before looking back up, head on a swivel for any signs of danger.

"Come on, maybe he's in here," Jill said, pushing open the doors of the cafeteria.

"Those things are in here," Angie said timidly.

"Don't worry honey, they're slow. We can run around them," Jill assured her.

"No, not them. Those."

Rain's blood froze at the girl's words, before following her gaze.

Dobermans had never been her favorite breed of dog, and Rain had no qualms admitting this fact. Seeing them there, infected, however, gave her a whole new reason to hate them.

* * *

Okay, so I guess I had more to say on Apocalypse than I originally thought, so the next part will be out shortly (either tonight, or possibly tomorrow). I don't think it'll be more than one chapter more, thankfully, so then we can move on with life. Sounds good, right?

Of course. Thanks for tuning in!

- Shannon Riley


	4. Chapter 4

With the aid of the other operative, disposing of the infected faculty, and the dogs, was a short task. It was only unfortunate that Nikolai had been killed in the process.

Reuniting with Alice, however, made up for it plenty in Rain's opinion.

After the revelation that the three women were greatly infected with t-virus, and that Angie was the very reason it had been created in the first place, they all made their way back to the truck, stopping for only a few minutes when Doctor Ashford called on the payphone right outside the school. With all the details known, the group piled in the Dodge with Angie and L.J up front, and Rain, Alice, and Carlos in the back.

"So what are you about to put in me?" Carlos asked once again, as Jill sped through the streets.

"The anti-virus," Alice answered. "The t-virus was created to animate dead cells. In the simplest sense, it brings the dead back to life. In a living human it can cause uncontrollable mutation... or in the case of a little girl, help her to walk again. If the virus is kept in check with this," Alice held up the now empty vial.

"Angie's infected?"

Having come in after the fact, he had not known that anyone besides himself had been infected.

Alice simply nodded.

"The cellular growth is enough to animate the dead cells in her body, but not enough to cause mutation."

Carlos studied her intently, curious at her knowledge.

"And you're infected too?" he chanced a guess.

"We both are," Rain answered when Alice didn't.

"But we're not contagious," the blonde was quick to assure.

Jill reached back, holding her hand for Alice to take what was in it.

"Tape the story. I'll make sure people see it."

In a rare moment of emotion, the brunette offered the pair a small smile. Alice accepted the camera with a nod, turning to look at Rain, who was between her and the door.

The brunette was nodding, and Alice turned back to the camera, turning it on. Pressing the little red button, she saw the record symbol up on the small screen that she was looking into.

"My name is Alice. I worked for the Umbrella Corporation - the largest, most powerful commercial entity in the world. I was head of security at a secret high-tech facility called the Hive."

For the rest of the ride there, Alice detailed the horrors that had happened, only the previous morning. A story that only herself and Rain knew the entirety of, until now that was. When Alice offered the camera, Rain simply detailed what happened when the blonde had not been around - finding the first infected, the hour of fighting that happened when the blonde had disappeared with Matt. The loss of her teammates.

The cab had fallen into a solemn silence as they pulled up to the building that was City Hall. Alice informed everyone of a plan that only she would be stupid enough to try.

But it had worked. They made their way past the guards and up to the roof of the building. A fallen guard rose behind Alice's back, and Rain had her Colt pointed at him in a second. It was Carlos, however, who recognized that a gunshot would give them away in an instant. His knife buried itself deep into the guard's neck, who crippled to the ground.

They clambered aboard the helicopter, when Alice promptly froze.

"We need to go," she said after a moment. Rain recognized the panic in her voice immediately.

"We have plenty of time."

"No we don't," it was Rain who argued, trusting the blonde explicitly. She was the only one who went through everything that Rain had, the only one who could begin to understand.

The only one to know everything. Hell, at this point Rain would even admit that if they had just listened to the blonde sooner, they wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place, because the computer would never have been shut down, the doors never would have been open, and the workers would not have escaped. They could have returned to the surface, told Umbrella everything that happened, all the dangers of opening the Hive. And then they would have gone their own ways.

But Rain's teammates, and herself by default (for she knew if she had been there, she wouldn't have heeded the blonde either at that time), hadn't trusted the blonde then. And Rain was determined never to make that mistake again, as dangerous as it might turn out to be.

"What are you waiting for? I said take off!"

"Why the rush?"

Major Cain had effectively taken them all by surprise. Alice stared at the group she had met this past night, before looking across the roof to the hulking form of Nemesis.

"Begin."

The order was simple, and Rain studied Alice, even as she turned towards the more dangerous looking mutation. The brunette watched with reserve as Alice, despite the dramatic size difference, immediately went on the attack, deftly avoiding Nemesis's own blows. Her advantage did not last forever, though, as the other experiment got his own shots in, strong enough she was positive would have brought anyone else to their knees, in the very least.

Alice seemed only the slightest fazed, however. When Cain finally gave in, and tossed her weapons to combat Nemesis's hand crafted one, it was then when an idea finally sparked. She kicked the large form hard. Over and over, until he was impaled with a spike of metal that he himself had created. It was ironic how fate worked sometimes. Rain herself was nearly out of the bonds that had forced her hands behind her back.

Somehow, despite the distance, only Rain heard the muttering of the blonde.

"Oh Matt. I'm so sorry, Matt."

Rain's eyes lit in recognition, as she suddenly remembered what had happened right before they had both been drugged at the mansion.

_'He's mutating. I want him in the Nemesis program.'_

At some point in her memory, Cain had moved from beside her to in front of Alice, where he was explaining everything to the blonde. Gritting her teeth, Rain hid her grin of success when she finally freed one hand, before tearing the plastic band off her wrists fully, let it fall to the ground as she kept up the appearance of still being bound.

"Don't you understand? Somehow you bonded with the t-virus on a cellular level. You adapted it, changed it, became... magnificent."

As Cain said all this to Alice, Rain had to wonder what that meant for her. She had been greatly infected as well, she had almost died even. Exactly what did that mean for her?

"You are not mutation, you are evolution. Why can't you see that? You're special. You are the future. Just imagine what you can become, really become, if you join me."

Alice was not to be persuaded, however, even when it resulted with her on the other side of Nemesis, machine guns trained right at her.

The rounds all missed however, and it took Alice a moment to realize that she had not been the target, despite the orders. It was then that Rain jolted to her feet, taking out the guard closest to her first, before moving down the line near the chopper. Carlos and Jill both finally got out of their restraints, joining her in the assault. At some point in the fight, no one had noticed exactly when, L.J found his way into the helicopter, where he had disarmed the pilot and taken the seat. It was with great pleasure that he knocked Cain down, as his companions quickly joined him on the chopper.

Outside, chaos was still reigning over all else. Bullets flying in almost every direction, Rain was low crawling her way across the building top, safely avoiding all the rounds flying overhead.

When the helicopter exploded, however, they're was much more to worry about. The brunette tucked into herself, rolling out of the way as large pieces of metal rained down around her. She glanced up just in time to see Alice get knocked down by a stray piece of rotor blade.

No. Alice.

"Alice!"

Angie echoed her shout, as Rain got to her feet, sprinting the short distance to the blonde. Angie was beside her just a few seconds later.

"Please," the little girl begged. "You have to get up."

"Alice, you're alright. You're gonna be fine," Rain reassured the blonde, who seemed to be in shock but otherwise still conscious. Briefly her gaze lifted, looking towards the lone surviving helicopter. The blades were already spinning, signs of the imminent liftoff.

"Angie get to the chopper," Rain ordered, managing to stay calm. "We're gonna be right behind you, okay? Get there and be ready to go."

The little girl looked to the brunette, before nodded. She got up, running back across the roof. Rain got to her feet, reaching down to help Alice up, supporting her weight easily before making their way to the helicopter. Carlos met them at the door, helping Alice to the seat next to Angie.

"We gotta get out of here," L.J yelled back from the front of the vehicle. "Everyone grab a seat!"

The command was obeyed instantly as the chopper finally lifted off the ceiling. Rain however, ignored the demand, muscling Cain to his feet, keeping her face impassive as she stared him down. "Ah, yes, Rain...my other pet. You are just a wonder at all."

The brunette did not particularly care what he meant by that, however. She pushed him violently out of the door, and despite it only being a few feet to the ground, there was a sicking crack of bone breaking. Rain watched with a morbid interest as Cain was quickly taken by the hoard of infected. Lifting out of the building's range, Rain finally took an empty seat.

The just in time for the nuke to pass them by. They were hardly clear of the city walls when it detonated, creating instant turbulence.

"Everyone hold on."

But there was no need for the warning. Everyone but Rain had been securely strapped into a seat. One of the several tools had come loose from the wall, and it flew towards Angie at a frightening pace. Alice threw herself forward, however, letting it impact her stomach.

"Alice!"

Rain let go of the strap she was holding onto, reaching for the blonde.

Just then the chopper started to spin out of control. It careened in a circle, and the momentum threw Rain across the small cabin, into the wall of tools.

She was sure several of them cut up her back, probably drawing blood, but she didn't care. It was with one particularly violent swivel, however, that Rain was torn from the wall, and launched from the helicopter as it continued it's rapid decent to the ground. It was the last thing she knew.

Several hours later Umbrella personnel finally found the crash sight. The chopper had been abandoned, though a tarp had been used as a cover for Alice, out of respect. Doctor Issacs crouched beside the body studying her almost tenderly.

"Fetch the medical team. What about the others?"

"We only found one, about two hundred metres that way," the worker said, pointing down river, where the rocks seemed to multiply with the current. Gracing him with a sharp nod, Doctor Issacs went to check it out, welcomed by the crippled form of Rain. Her neck had been broken in the fall, and blood lightly tinted the small pool of water that she was half submerged in.

"When the med group gets here, make sure they get them to the Springfield facility. Both of them, stat. Run tests for everything," Doctor Issacs ordered the crew. "The rest must have survived. It's a pity, but they'll turn up eventually, one way or another."

* * *

Three weeks later, Project Alice seemed to be physically recovered. Her eyes snapped open, confusion evident at the liquid vat she was submerged in. When it had been drained, she was helped to her feet, as Doctor Issacs tested her basic reactions, pleased at the knowledge she had retained.

"Sir, her stats are rising. Increased cardiovascular, increased brain activity."

"What do you mean?"

As the puzzles fell perfectly into place, Alice fixed the doctor with a piercing stare.

"He means that my name is Alice. And I remember everything."

Doctor Issacs turned towards the voice, interest peaked. Alice grabbed the pen from the lab tech, and swung it to his face, stopping just a hair from penetrating his eye. With the threat looming right in front of him, he didn't even think to try and defend the blow that made him collapse to the ground. With an uncanny ease, Alice fought her way through the entire room, before making her way to the main hall.

The security guard had managed to hit the alarm, before he felt a piercing pain in his head. He swiped at his face, as blood was pushed, by an unseen force, from every visible opening - eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

He died almost instantly.

Stepping out the front door, Alice froze at the array of weapons pointed at her. Seeing the people who climbed out of the car behind them, however, reassured her that everything would be fine. A strange sensation overcame her body as they left through the gates.

Alice had a nagging feeling that everything had only just begun.

"Where's Rain?" she spoke for the first time. The car was silent, and Alice looked around.

"Well?"

"We never found her after the crash," Carlos finally said. "We looked everywhere near the sight, but she's gone Alice. There's no way she could have survived such a fall, and and there was no way for us to find her. We had to clear out before Umbrella got there."

The numbness that she had felt when she hadn't known anything returned, as she allowed her mind to stop processing, turning to stare blankly out the window.

Rain. She had been there through the whole incident at the Hive, and through the whole journey at Raccoon City. And now she was lost in a crash, one in which everyone else had survived. How did that even make sense? Alice had to wonder, once again struck by the irony that was life.

* * *

"The infection has swept through Illinois," Doctor Issacs said into the speaker as he watched the video in front of him. "I'm due to be evacuated in just half an hour."

Nearly a month and a half after the attempted damage control at Raccoon city, they had failed, and the t-virus continued to spread, quickly sweeping it's way across the continent.

"How are our girls?"

"Project Alice has managed to somehow evade our location signals. She fell off the grid weeks ago."

"How?"

Doctor Issacs could only shrug.

"She is a very unique specimen. The t-virus bonded with her blood, not changing her, but charging her. Her reflexes, cranial activity, senses, everything has been boosted by a tenfold. There's also indications of seismic activities, we don't know much about it, but we do know she killed one of the guards... through a camera. The possibilities are endless, we simply cannot know what she is capable of."

"And the other?"

"The infection has affected Project Rain, but in a drastically different way from Project Alice. The t-virus seems to have altered her DNA itself...her blood has mutated, but her body hasn't."

Though dark glasses covered his eyes, the interest from the man at the other end of the video chat was clear on his face. Doctor Issacs eagerly went on to explain.

"Her blood composition closely resembles that of someone infected, but it doesn't appear to be fighting for control over her body. We believe it was because she had been so close to death when the anti-virus was administered...her blood had already started to mutate, but the anti-virus stopped it, putting her body in some sort of Limbo. It's quite magnificent, really. Aside from the blood, her stats and reflexes remain the same, well honed from years of the best training. There does seem to be an increase in sensory functions, however, but we've only really been able to document hearing in her current state."

Doctor Issacs paused for a moment.

"I cannot be positive on this, you must understand, but I believe that any infected she comes upon will pass her over. They're naturally drawn to fresh blood and flesh, and for all biological purposes, Project Rain is one of them. She had just retained normal organ functions and brain activity, it's absolutely fascinating to study."

The man on the screen inclined his head.

"Is that all?"

"If I am correct on that theory, then I can only deduct that the t-virus will no longer affect her. Her blood had already mutated. It's possible that more t-virus could alter it more, but her body has already adapted to the mutation's presence; she can function with it, perfectly fine. I don't believe that she will ever die, unless killed, and even then...well, we cannot be certain of what would happen. Would the mutation continue, or would it simply... die out with her?"

It was met with silence.

"You will be here shortly."

Doctor Issacs nodded his affirmation.

"Good. I want all of this written out."

"What about Project Rain?"

"How are her stats?"

"As far as we can tell, she's fully recovered. It took longer than Project Alice, but that's simply because her molecular structure is so much more complicated, more unknown."

There was a pause of silence on the other side.

"Good. Perhaps we can see just how accurate your hypotheses are."

* * *

So, I'm sorry that I've ignored greatly the details of what happened during Apocalypse, but you have seen the movie, correct? It's mostly the same... I don't want to write out the whole thing again. You can just watch it of course! Anything that did changed, I wrote, so you're all set. Anyhow, I have work to do today, and almost zero time for writing during the week, so I cannot be sure when the next update will be, but I'll be working on it. Peace.

- Shannon Riley


	5. Chapter 5

_**Two Weeks Prior to the Lock Down in Springfield**  
_

Only a week had passed since she had escaped the facility, and they were headed back east. It was Alice who wanted to see first hand exactly what remained of Raccoon City, though it was on all their minds as well. It probably wasn't the smartest move, but Alice could not help but to stare in wonder, at the ruins that laid behind the still present walls.

"It seems like it was just yesterday," Alice said finally. "Everything's so vivid."

"Well, maybe for you," Carlos started. "But not us. The crash sight was this way."

After hiding the car, the group made their way into the forest, along an invisible path that only her companions seemed to know. They were at the top of a waterfall, looking down onto rock and water, which quickly disappeared into the trees.

"Right there," Carlos pointed the exact spot where the remains of the helicopter had been. "After we got you out of the wreck, we searched the area around the sight, for nearly half an hour."

"There was no sign of her," Alice added. Carlos fell silent, looking down the cliff with remorse.

"No, there wasn't. If that door would have shut," Jill said. "Then she wouldn't have been thrown from the cabin. But it didn't. It was stuck open."

Alice surveyed the whole area, lips pressed together in a straight line.

"Let's go."

"Alice-"

"I said lets go," her tone was firm this time, as she headed back in the direction of the road. Her companions followed her, as they quickly returned to the Trail Blazer. Alice's hand was on the door, when she paused, looking up.

For the past week she had felt like someone was surveying her every move, tracking her, not letting her out of their sight. She wasn't sure who, or even what it was, but she knew it was more than just paranoia.

"Where to?" L.J asked, as he climbed behind the wheel. It was silent for a moment.

"Where's the closest Umbrella facility?" Alice asked, out of curiosity.

The other occupants of the car seem to tense at the question.

"Detroit, why?"

Alice looked out the window as they turned around, heading away from the ruins.

"Can we go there?"

Whatever was following her, she had a feeling Umbrella was involved. And there was only one way to get to the center of it.

She would have to infiltrate the research facility. It was nearly an hour and a half before they reached the city. L.J stopped at a small gas station on the outskirts of the town to fill up. Alice climbed out of the back seat, shutting the door behind her.

"I want you all to get out of here," she said quietly to L.J, as she crossed to the other side of the vehicle to stand next to him.

"Hold up, what?"

"You heard me. I need to figure out more about what they did to me. It'll be a lot easier, if I don't have to worry about all of you while doing it."

"Alice-"

"No," the blonde said firmly, pinning him with a sharp look. L.J froze. "You need to get out of here. All of you. I'll be fine, I'll catch up with you later. You trust me right?"

The man was shaking his head.

"Damn girl, you better know I trust you by now. But that's whack, even for you."

"L.J."

"Okay... I got it."

Alice let out a small breath of relief, knowing that the others would not be so easy to convince. She made her way back around the car, to the passenger side where Jill had the window down, and was leaning on the door easily.

"Take care of everyone, okay?"

Half comprehending the question, the brunette grunted.

"What?"

"I said, take care of them. I have something to do here."

Jill sat up straight, giving her an incredulous look.

"You mean to say-"

"I'm not leaving Detroit. Not right yet, at least," Alice said. "But you all are. You need to stay safe."

"What are you going to do?"

Jill's voice was more of a hiss, trying not to rouse Angie, who was sound asleep in the back seat.

"I have to get some information."

"Are you shitting me?"

Alice slowly shook her head.

"I have to. I'll be fine. More fine if I know you all are far away from here, cause then I won't spend the whole time worrying."

She looked into the back seat. Carlos was also dozing, having driven all of the previous night.

"Jill," the blonde started. The brunette cut her off sharply though.

"Alright, okay. I get it," the cop's irritation was obvious. "Just don't get yourself killed, alright? We went through a lot of trouble to bust you out back in Springfield."

"Thank you, for that," Alice added, figuring now was as good a time as any. L.J was sliding behind the wheel again, as he started the engine. His brown eyes met Alice's, and the woman gave him a single nod.

"Be careful," she warned.

"Us? Be careful? Worry about yourself, huh?" Jill said, eyes narrowed as she studied the other woman. Alice simply nodded.

"I'll see you guys again. Don't worry."

Jill's snort was more of disbelief, as she closed the window, effectively shutting out the blonde. Alice watched as the black SUV pulled away from the gas station, speeding back in the direction they had come from.

When they were finally out of sight, she turned to face the city.

"Well, Alice," she muttered to herself, as she started towards the mass of buildings. "Let's see what you got."

* * *

**_Present Time_**

Darkness was the only thing that registered in Rain's mind. Darkness and abandonment. She was on some sort of hardly cushioned table, covered with a white sheet. It took only a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the room's dimness. Some sort of tank was in the corner of the room, faintly illuminated - the only thing of light in this otherwise hole of nothing, tubes and wires lay in disuse as traces of water littered the floor around it. It was only the dampness of her own hair that made her want to look more closely at it.

What had happened? Where was she? How did she get here?

The tiled floor was cold beneath her feet, and her muscles protested from the sudden use, tight from weeks of recovery. Stiffly she made her way across the room, ignoring her state of undress as she fell to her knees at what seemed to be a doorway - one of the tank's walls that had been lowered.

She spent several minutes, studying the different assortment of tubes and wires, but eventually she clambered back to her feet, wrapping herself in the sheet before making her way slowly out of the room.

The halls were as dark as the rest of the place, and empty. A chill went up Rain's spine as she took in her surroundings.

There was absolutely nothing in the vicinity, and that put her more on edge than anything else could have. With hesitating strides, she carried herself out the front door. It was almost like reliving Raccoon City all over again - the streets were empty, cars abandoned at random. She heard a low moaning in the distance, something she was sure would haunt her for the rest of her life.

The Umbrella compound seemed to be closed off from the rest of the city, the newly added walls keeping all infected out. That gave Rain just a bit of reassurance, as she looked at the several buildings in the area. One of them had to have clothes and weapons that she could pilfer, surely. Most of their posts had been, or were in the process, of converting to joint military bases, she remembered very well from just before the incident in the Hive. Rain moved away from the medical lab, down the stairs, not seeming to care about being barefooted.

With a roll of her eyes, she realized just how easy it would be to navigate the facility - each of the buildings were clearly named for their purpose. Shaking a head, she first headed towards one just across the street from the medical facility. The sign told her it was a dual commissary/post exchange, which solidified her belief of being on one of the upgraded umbrella compounds. The doors were thankfully still unlocked, and she entered the dark store. To the immediate right was a small clothing area, which was where she started her search.

Still holding the sheet tightly around her, she stopped at an aisle of pants and jackets, first grabbing a pair of pants - though a solid shade of black, the material felt similar to that of an army uniform, she immediately recognized. Tucking the pants under her arms, she moved on, grabbing under ware before she let the sheet drop, and quickly got changed. Still bare footed, she made her way to the small boot display, quickly deciding on a pair of simple, black leather combat boots. There was a wall of bags next to the boots, and she quickly grabbed a large backpack.

With purpose, she quickly filled several sets of underclothes, and tank tops, into the backpack, as well as another set of the pants, before she put on a pair of socks and the boots, lacing them easily.

Finished she started towards the back of the store. She stared at the shelves of non-perishable/canned foods for a moment in loss, wondering just how she would transport enough food to last for more than just a day. Even using another bag, it would be inconveniently heavy for her to carry.

Running her tongue along her teeth, she finally decided to put enough into her bag to last for a few days, and quickly set about her task, moving down the isle as she halfway attempted to give herself a variety. Her foot caught on the edge of a display of mineral water, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud shatter of several of the bottles. Rain grimaced, internally cursing whoever had poorly aligned the shelved unit with the isles.

A rustle to the back corner made her freeze, before carefully putting down the bag, turning fully towards the small electronics display, ears tuned for any sound of movement.

There. How could she have missed it, she wasn't sure, but it was the distinct sound of poorly concealed, shuffling feet. Rain grabbed one of the pieces of broken glass, figuring it was the best she would be able to do at the moment, before silently making her way towards the noise with practiced ease. Getting right up to the corner, she crouched, peeking around without exposing herself.

She saw a kid, perhaps ten or so, sitting on the bottom shelf of the display, hugging his knees to his chest. His alert eyes, and ragged breathing lead Rain to believe that he was currently uninfected, but...it would never hurt to use precaution. Straightening, she stepped around the corner, glass shard hidden behind out of view, but still ready for use. At the sight of her, the boy seemed to be attempting to become a part of the display, whimpering as he closed his eyes, turning his head into the wall.

"Have you been bitten?"

No response, he almost didn't seem to hear her. Hoping she wouldn't regret it later, she slowly stepped closer, crouching once again in front of the boy.

"Hey kid. Have you been bitten, or scratched, or did anyone give you a shot?"

Peaking just slightly at her, he studied her warily for a moment, before slowly shaking his head.

"Why are you here?"

Silence, and Rain pursed her lips. She was never the patient type to begin with, but adding children into the mix made it that much more obvious.

"Can you talk?"

A bit harsher than intended, but the boy didn't flinch, instead gracing her with a small nod.

"They took my dad."

Rain blinked.

"Who did?"

"The Umbrella men. Dad was ordering the supply room, when everything shut down. Then they came in and took him away."

"Why didn't they take you, too?"

"He told me to hide in the back," the boy answered simply, slowly coming around to her presence as he relaxed, facing her fully. "I waited and waited, but no one came again."

Rain silently cursed her luck again. Well, she couldn't very well _leave_ the poor kid, could she? And the knowledge of that made everything more complicated.

"What's your name? How old are you?"

"Austin. I'm thirteen."

"I'm Rain," she said curtly. "Did your dad only work here?"

The boy shook his head.

"He doesn't work in the store very often, but someone was sick today, so they made him come here."

Rain didn't need to consider what kind of illness the missing employee could have gotten.

"What does he usually do?"

"Just supply stuff."

Rain gave him a calculating look.

"You know your way around this place?"

Austin nodded.

"You know where we can get some weapons?"

More slowly, he nodded again.

"There's a weapon room, in the basement of the supply office. They have everything there."

The brunette did a quick calculation. Having been in such a high position in the corporation, she knew quite a bit about what to expect. While her knowledge was no where near par with Alice's, who knew the inner workings of Umbrella to a 'T', Rain knew more about their protocol and operation procedures than the blonde could ever had thought. Umbrella liked to track their gear and equipment - electronics mainly, but they put some sort of tracking device on almost everything. Weapons were one thing they left undisturbed. Vehicles on the other hand.

Not only were they tracked, but many of them were rigged with over control units that they could activate at any given time. Neither possibility appealed to her, but how else could she be expected to evade whatever was waiting outside the walls, loaded with weapons, food, and now a young child?

"Did your dad drive you here?"

Austin nodded, his short, dirty blonde hair bobbing with his head.

"He usually takes the bus, but today we rode in the truck. He said cause of me."

"Did he have his keys with him when they took him?"

Austin shook his head.

"They're in his jacket pocket. It's still in the backroom."

"Okay, listen to me alright? We're going to get the truck," Rain informed the boy. "Come back here for as much food as possible, and then go get some weapons, okay?"

Austin didn't respond at first.

"But what about my dad?"

Rain shook her head.

"Listen, kid. I don't know where they took him, but I doubt that he's still on the post. We can't even start to look for him if we don't have a way to go to him, right?"

She almost felt bad, for giving the kid false hope that his father could still possibly be alive, but she shook it off when she realized it was probably the only way for Austin to agree. It was too dark for Rain to determine the exact color of the boy's eyes, but they were light - possibly blue or green. She studied them as they went from thoughtful, to considerate, and then finally agreement.

"I guess not."

"Okay. So let's go. Can you lead the way?"

Austin nodded, hesitating once again before getting to his feet, leading his way past Rain, and through the swinging door to the back storage room. A small staff room was there, with a simple brown coat hanging on the back of one chair. Austin reached into the pocket, pulling out a single key ring, with only two keys on it. One looked to be a house or apartment key, and the second was unmistakably for a car.

"He parked out back. They don't usually let normal cars through the gates, but no one stopped him today," Austin explained, handing her the keys. Rain accepted the ring, before following the boy out of the door again. The back door, a garage one where delivery trucks could back up to, was wide open. An old, orange pickup was parked to the side, and Rain took a second to admire the clear work that had been done on it.

Austin seemed to sense her curiosity.

"Yeah, dad just finished fixing it up last month. He did the whole engine and all the body work and _everything,_" it was clear the kid was a big car fan, and for just a moment Rain could appreciate his enthusiasm. "He worked on it for a long time though. Sometimes he'd even let me help him."

It was a rather large, heavy duty, single cab Chevy, with a equally large all-terrain tires, and a metal toolbox that took up nearly a third of the truck bed.

"Are there any tools in there," Rain asked, nodding to the box as they continued to make their way. Austin was shaking his head.

"Not too many, just some things in case we got a flat or anything, and some more flexible tools, in case he needed to make a quick fix."

Rain nodded in approval. It would be a good place to store cans of food, and ammunition. Knowing that the undead were not smart enough to figure out how to unlatch it, not that Rain ever planned on letting them get that close to it if she was in it, anything put in it would be secured without worry. Austin followed her as she did a slow circle of the truck, surveying it's entirety. There was a metal cage over the headlights and grill of the the engine, with an extra set of flood lights. That aside, the truck seemed to be largely unchanged from it's original design. Done with her inspection, she opened the door, settling behind the wheel on the single bench seat. Austin let himself into the other side, pushing a backpack onto the floor of the truck on his side. After a quick once over of the gauges, and the new radio.

Sliding the key into the ignition, Rain let a small grin at how smoothly it started.

Maybe having the kid around wouldn't be a total setback.

* * *

So, in Apocalypse, the movie ends with it zooming out from America, from a city that's clearly in Illinois (or perhaps a boarding, south-western state). At the beginning of Extinction, the map suggests that Raccoon City was located either in southern Michigan, or northern Ohio/Indiana. Alice left the group in Detroit (as we find out later in Extinction). So obviously at some point, at least Alice, or possibly everyone, was in Detroit, or they just messed up with the geography of the movie. I'm have no idea, but it's not so easy to work with (considering there's only a couple weeks time frame to work with, before the virus had spread all over the US).

Damn. I did try, though.

- Shannon Riley


	6. Chapter 6

**_Present Time_**

It took the better part of three hours, but finally they had stocked up on food and weapons. Now just to get off the compound, Rain thought dryly, as she glanced to her right, studying the small boy for a moment.

He wasn't all that bad, she decided. From what she had learned so far (it always astounded her just how trusting kids were) that aside from being an avid basketball fan (which she could appreciate), Austin was also a die-hard hunter, and had already explained every different trip that his father and him had gone on every year.

Another saving grace, she thought, as she navigated the small town-like facilities streets. He should know at least something about maintaining and firing a weapon. Good. She pulled to a stop in front of the large, imposing doors that were similar to the ones that had contained Raccoon City. With a firm order for Austin to stay in the truck, Rain swung open her own door, dropping to the ground, throwing a brief, but thorough, visual.

Nothing.

Ignoring the strong instincts that were shouting for her to get out of the area, she stepped closer to the barricade. Her head tilted up as she studied the height of the wall - at least thirty feet. Stepping closer, she first turned to the left, scanning along the massive doors for any sign of a switch or control panel. Finding nothing, she turned towards the right, repeating the action.

Nothing still. With a frustrated sigh, Rain stepped away from the wall, once again taking in the entire surroundings. A small movement at the top of a building caught her eye, and the brunette turned to look at it dead on.

A security camera. There was a small, blinking red light that indicated it was still operational, and currently in use. Her eyes narrowed at the possibilities it presented, and also what bad could come of it.

A screech of un-oiled metal made the latina jump, and Rain spun to stare at the door in well concealed shock. As if it had been years since last being used, the gears responsible for opening the door worked slowly, and loudly, causing the former operative to cringe. Realizing just what this meant for her, Rain sprinted back to the truck, before the doors had even gotten a chance to crack apart. It seemed as if they were moving in slow motion, but as soon as the gap was big enough, undead started filtering through, and Rain made sure both doors were locked, as she waited in drive.

As soon as the truck would fit through the gap, she floored it, ignoring the thuds and sickening splats of the undead she hit. With a sharp glance to her right, which lasted all of a split second as she navigated her way through the abandoned streets with, she was relieved to see that Austin did not look too disturbed by what had just occurred.

Rain wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good sign of the kid's mental health. In either case, they were quickly out of the city and on the significantly more abandoned freeway, before Rain finally breathed easily. She momentarily scoffed at how traumatized at being locked inside of an infected city seemed to have made her.

Though showing no outward signs of distress, Austin had been silent until this point.

"What are we gonna do now?"

Rain thought over the question as she kept driving, slowing to a normal speed at the lack of a current threat.

"I don't know kid," she admitted slowly. Austin nodded, looking down into his lap.

What now?

* * *

**_Two Weeks Prior to the Lock Down in Springfield_**

****Breaking into the Umbrella facility in Detroit seemed to have been too easy, Alice reflected, as she glanced through the gritted opening of the vent she was currently in.

Empty hallway, she thought, looking for any signs of surveillance. All clear.

With a slight creak, she jimmied the vent out of it's place, before allowing herself to drop down into the hallway, landing in a crouch to both cushion her fall, and to keep her lower than the average person's immediate line of sight. The handgun she had acquired was out, following everywhere she looked.

Still nothing.

Silently she moved towards the wall, shuffling as she kept low, head on a swivel, looking for any signs of movement or danger.

Around the corner was her destination, the main security station. From there, not only would she be able to keep a surveillance, but she could use the advanced computer system to hack into the classified files. She made her way over to the door, studying the locking mechanism on the outside of it before she simply tested the door itself.

It was sealed, which she had figured despite her hope. She turned her attention back to the keypad lock, for once wishing that Umbrella had been dumb enough to have a single set of codes for everything.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, she amended. They did have universal pass codes for several different categories of access. There was the category code, which had a universal three digit number to be typed in. After the 'Cat' code, there followed a five digit access code depending on which type of information or access one was trying to obtain - security, personnel, medical, laboratory, weapons, supplies, and machinery, to name just a few. Finally there was a two digit district code, depending on which Umbrella facility you were at. It was a similar set up going down the line from top secret to secured access, classified, authorized, general, and every type of employee stature in between. A universal three digit Cat code, and then a universal Branch code, and a two digit District code.

Select few people were privy to understand Umbrella's code system, and even fewer knew the correct full-access codes - Alice was one of a handful in the entire world. Not only were there the specific, correct codes, however, there were also several different levels of 'decoy' codes for each real one, to allow a specified amount of access to a specified field for each employee, without giving them full access.

With a sigh, Alice leaned her back to the wall. She knew each of the key codes well, but with Umbrella it was always a gamble of how they would categorize at each facility. To get access to anything relating to her former security position, you would have to know the top secret Cat code, the security Branch code, and the Raccoon District code. To find out the information regarding her employee files, it was the same Cat and District codes, but her specific 'personnel' Branch code.

She sighed, but maintained a watch out of the corner of her eyes as she thought on the topic for a moment. The Branch and District codes were obvious enough, but to determine what they would categorize the security room as was making her hesitate. The 'secured access' code would make most sense - it wasn't as vital as top secret, or even classified, but the number of people with access was limited in the entire facility. At the same time, it could simply be the 'authorized' code, which was a more general 'secured access' code.

Not for the first time, Alice cursed Umbrella's unnatural need to complicate matters, although considering exactly what they had done, and what they had the potential to further do, she couldn't say she faulted them for their logic.

She pondered it for a bit more, before deciding to use the 'secured access' code, reasoning that 'authorized' would allow her to access more of the facilities physical securities as opposed to their network securities. Turning she punched in the numbers with a quick confidence - there was an allocated fifteen second pause between each of the three pass codes, but anymore time than that logged a notice of violation - it usually wasn't responded to immediately, but it was put on file to be investigated.

She wasn't very keen on the idea of her presence being logged into the systems, even Umbrella would not automatically know it was her.

With a flash of green on the note pad, and a whoosh of air, the doors slid open, closing almost immediately when Alice had crossed into the room. She shot a quick glance around, noting with relief that there were not any security cameras in the security room. There were, however, two guards watching the monitors at the moment, as well as a techie working diligently on one of the computers in the adjoining network room. Her presence went ignored - obviously the guards figured that if someone had the correct passwords to get into the room, then they were expected to be there.

Coincidentally, that also meant that her presence at the facility still had not been registered, otherwise they would probably have been on high alert. She briefly considered disposing of them all together, but no...that would be a quicker way to alert her presence. If she could slide under the radar, however, than that would be the most effective way to take care of her task. This caused her to grin, as she crossed the room, deftly grabbing one of the several lab coats that was hanging next to the door to slip into, hiding her rather obvious civilian clothes that could cause someone to question her.

The techie did not spare her a glance as she walked in, and she slid behind a computer opposite of his, facing both him, and the door to the other room, along with placing her back at the wall. Before getting started, she fumbled through the pockets of the lab coat, coming up with a small square of post it notes. With a satisfied grin, she stuck one over the pin hole at the top of the monitor, a camera that was set to record who was accessing the computer at any given time. Her movements were discreet, as to not attract the attention of the other techie.

She needn't have worried, however, as her 'companion' was deeply engrossed in his work. Alice booted up the computer, silently contemplating her log in information as she awaited for the screen to materialize.

She knew without a doubt that her actual information was already flagged, much like a watch on a stolen credit card - it would immediately log itself into the system, alerting the proper authorities of her presence. She did, however, have the access to several fake accounts, that had been set up for her or Spence in the need of discretion and anonymity, as well as a several regular employees account information, which she had acquired though means that were arguably a breach of her power rights.

When the screen finally was in front of her, she quickly typed in the account that had been created for her several years prior, when she had gone on another undercover mission. It would allow her the same clearance rights as her 'head of security' account would have, but it was not tied to her in anyway - she had made sure of that throughout the years, in case a backup would be needed, the plan Umbrella's take down had already budded in her mind.

She got to work quickly, quietly, and efficiently, immediately accessing the network and the top secret files with the proper cat, branch, and district codes. She struggled to mask her surprise and horror at the data she read - the results of her blood tests, her reaction and sensory testing, anything that related the t-virus and her together.

So she wasn't human anymore. Not entirely, at least. She was some sort of super-human weapon, just another of Umbrella's experiments now.

An experiment that was fully traceable and under daily, periodic satellite surveillance. Her eyes widened when she looked at the time. The satellite was set to locate her position every eight hours - every day at eight am, four pm, and twelve am, which meant she currently had nearly an entire hour to finish gathering her data, find a way to wipe as much of herself as she could from their systems, and get out of the facility.

Pursing her lips, she immediately got to it, everything she could find about herself was burnt into her mind, permanently stored exactly as the pass codes and every other piece of information she had from her time in Umbrella. A few minutes later, she finished, before she started tearing apart her files - not only clearing the information, but making it almost impossible to retrieve. If by some way they did manage to retrieve her files, it would take a long time to piece them back together.

She glanced at the clock. Just twenty minutes left. She couldn't just leave the tracking system alone though, could she?

No, she decided. But she didn't have near enough time to tear it down right now. She spent several minutes raking her brain for a solution before her eyes lit. Getting into the network's data was easy with her clearance access. Hacking the actual network's motherboard, however, was not as simple. Not only was it highly monitored, but the coding was one of the most complicated ones she could remember, and she was no slough with computers.

Taking a breath, she got to work once again, thanking her knowledge of every short cut and evasive computer technique that she could. When she was finally in, several minutes later, she immediately created a path onto the mainframe, before typing furiously once again.

Long before the Hive incident, she had been developing a slow acting, stealth computer virus, specifically designed to counteract Umbrella's network. She knew the encoding by heart as she fixed it into the computer, making sure that it would zero in on their tracking system, as well as trace remains of everything involving her information and files. It would take a week or so to fully complete it's task, but she added a delayed command, to start in exactly two weeks, to tear down the rest of the system.

Finally finished, she logged off the computer, checking the time again.

Five minutes to get back out of the facility. She stood up, quickly but silently making her way back to the surveillance room. She punched in the pass code that would let her out of the room, and she looked around when she entered the hall, taking in everything she could.

All clear. Alice put her hand to the handgun at her hip, while making her way along the hall again. She reached the spot where she had emerged from the vent. Crouching, she jump easily to the edge, getting a secure grip before she heaved herself into it and slid the grate back into place.

Finished, she maneuvered herself into the direction she had came from, not for the first time appreciating her slim build. She made her way though the ventilation system much quicker than she had coming in. She was almost at her goal when she felt her blood call out to a presence, as if she were being watched. She increased her speed, still moving silently. She wasn't sure exactly how her position was logged - coordinates, pictures, video. Any were possible, put she didn't plan on being around long enough for anyone to realize she had been there.

Reaching the end of her path she dropped into the maintenance closet that had easy access to the back entrance of the facility. She glanced out of the closet, seeing the coast clear. She continued in her direction, knowing that the best way to not be noticed was to be confident and act like you weren't doing anything wrong. As she neared the door, she shed off the lab coat, tossing it to the side as she entered into the cloudy afternoon. She took in her surroundings, noting that there were no attack vehicles or armed guards in the area.

With this knowledge, she started at a light run, putting as much distance between her and the building as she could. Just because there weren't any at that moment didn't mean there wouldn't be shortly.

* * *

Uhm, for the record, I don't know a lot about computers, so I just sorta winged it. Not bad, right? Please don't poke into all my mistakes or stuff. And sorry for the delay.

- Shannon Riley


	7. Chapter 7

**_Present Time_**

Lounging on several blankets in the bed of the truck, Rain glanced back into the cab, catching sight of Austin passed out, stretched along the entire seat. With a sigh she returned to surveying their surroundings, pistol resting easily against her leg. They were parked in the middle of a flat, open field, far away from anything that could conceal another being. It was times like these when she was glad to be a light sleeper, she couldn't help but to wake up periodically to check the surroundings throughout the night. Her body seemed to need less rest now than it had before, and she figured it was probably a side effect of whatever experiments Umbrella had done to her.

She studied their quiet surroundings, not seeing anything out of the usual. Not that she had expected to. On a raid at a hardware store, she had found countless boxes of bubble wrap, which she had taken to strategically encircling the car at a thirty foot radius when they stopped for the night. If for some reason her innate 'danger sensor' (as she had started calling it) didn't go off, the cracking of the bubble wrap would wake her up instantly.

It was a rather weak fail-safe, but so far it had been successful, as she recalled two nights ago when an infected dog had wandered across their location.

It was shot dead before it made it another five feet closer. And that had been at a run. Austin had jerked awake with a shout at the crack of the gun; Rain hoped he would get used to it soon.

It wasn't going to change.

After deeming the area as clear, she laid back down, staring up at the cloudless sky. It was only a minute before she managed to doze off again, slipping blissfully into the darkness of her mind.

She woke up three more times before morning broke. When the sun rose, she folded up the blankets, shoving them into the tool chest. Retrieving the bubble wrap, she carefully rolled that up as well, storing it in a heavy, plastic chest that had also been fitted into the bed of the truck. Done, she clambered into the truck, waking the boy up as well. With a drowsy smile of greeting, Austin sat up, pulling his own blanket closer to himself as he leaned against the door, still tired. He dozed off again as Rain drove back to the road.

It was eery, she admitted, seeing so few people around anymore. It had been little over two weeks since the pair had fled Indiana, and since then they had come across entirely too few uninfected. It was as if the entire country had become a ghost nation. From what she had gathered, people were either holing themselves up wherever they could, or they too were on the move, entire families packed into one vehicle. Idly Rain couldn't help but to wonder what was happening in the rest of the world - there were no more news stations or news papers. There was still internet, thanks to Umbrella, but not a lot of power sources to charge computers to use.

At least, not a lot for civilians. Rain had no doubt that somewhere in this country there were folks from Umbrella who still lived in their own little safe worlds, completely unconcerned with the ruins that the rest of the world was slowly decaying to around them.

With a sigh she focused on the road again. After having, reluctantly on her part, stopped at Austin's house (only to find it abandoned, as she figured it would have been), the boy had become rather withdrawn as they headed back out. From Illinois, they had gone southwest, hitting California eventually. Rain didn't know what they were driving to, but it was better than staying in one place.

From California they had gone up the coast, sticking to rural areas to get gas and supplies as cities were teeming with undead. Last night they had stopped somewhere between Idaho and Montana, Rain wasn't sure at this point. It was just road.

Now they were driving down a two-lane highway, headed back east, browned grass stretched on either side, until mountains and trees took over in the distance. Blinking Rain's eyes scanned the road, looking for any signs of trouble. She squinted, seeing something moving up ahead near the side of the road. A person, she realized. Probably infected, it wasn't uncommon. She didn't let off the accelerator, gradually coming up to the figure, who seemed to be walking heavily.

Faded, dirty pants, tan boots and a brown pack was all she could see, but that wasn't too unusual. Even the figure turning towards the approaching sound wasn't unusual for an undead. When a sweater clad arm lifted, however, thumb up, Rain blinked with surprise.

Uninfected.

She slowed, pulling up along side the figure, inspecting them closely before she motioned for Austin to roll down his window. The boy complied.

"Have you been bitten or scratched?"

Under a dirty green patrol cap, decorated with various pins and patches, the person's head tilted, face shadowed.

"By what?"

"Anything that would have attacked you."

The person shook their head.

"Where you going?"

"Wherever you can take me. That way," the person pointed in the direction they had been traveling.

Rain shared a look with Austin, who shrugged his shoulders at her silent question.

"Get in."

The stranger's face lifted slightly, revealing a set of straight white teeth as they smiled. They swung their pack off their shoulders, putting it in the bed of the truck before climbing in, Austin moving to the middle seat to allow for room.

"It's impossible to get anyone to stop," the person said in lieu of thanks, pulling off their hat. It was a woman, in her late teens Rain guessed. Light brown hair, having been held back by the cap, was short, and fell down to frame her face. Her eyes were an olive green.

"I can imagine," Rain said dryly, as they started back on the road, feeling no need to go faster then the speed limit. It's not like they had anywhere to be.

"Where are y'all headed?" the girl asked.

"Dunno," Rain answered, as Austin studied their new companion in silence. "Away."

The girl nodded at the statement.

"I know what you mean. I'm Sarge. Well, that's what most people call me."

"I'm Austin," the boy finally spoke, breaking his silence. "She's Rain."

"Do you know what's happening to everyone?" the girl asked. "I mean, I haven't caught a piece of news in weeks since I hit the road, been avoiding people for the most part, but some crazy stuff is going down."

Rain shot her a weird look.

"You haven't heard about the virus?"

"Virus?"

Rain paused, studying the girl closely. Before the television stations shut down, they had broadcasted about the strange infection that was spreading through the country like wildfire. Sarge seemed honestly confused, however.

"The Umbrella Corporation was working on a virus to reanimate dead cells," she said finally, after a moment of contemplation. "To help people with degenerative cellular diseases and stuff like that, let them be able to walk again. Anyhow, something went wrong. When it gets into your system, it attacks your body from the inside, killing you. _Then_ it reanimates the cells."

Both Sarge and Austin, who still hadn't known what was going on, stared at her.

"So what, everyone who caught this virus is dead now?"

Rain nodded.

"Reanimated, with limited motor skills and the most basic need for survival."

"Sustenance," the brunette breathed, connecting the pieces from what she had seen for the brief periods of time she had interacted with someone else. Rain's nod was grim this time.

"Which means they're drawn to anything alive, mainly people. If they so much as scratch you, the virus spreads. You die, then become one of them."

"What do we do about it?"

Rain glanced at her. "We keep moving. If we stop for extended periods of time, they're bound to find us. What's your story?"

The girl blinked at the sudden change of topic, before shrugging.

"I was in the army," she gestured to her pants, which Rain finally registered as desert fatigues. "My unit got back from Afghan last month. People had already started going crazy, the virus I guess. We got back to post and they were already making us leave. No discharges, no new assignments, they just said to go. Didn't even collect our supplies or anything. I waited for a couple of days, totally lost. Then I scavenged around post, which was pretty much empty by then, packed my bag and headed out. Public transportation was already stopping, and I don't have a car or anything, so I've been on foot."

"Army, huh? That why they call you Sarge?"

The girl grinned. "Well that's how it started. I didn't actually become a sergeant until last year, but my last name is Sargero, so they shortened that pretty early on."

"Where you headed?"

Sarge shrugged again.

"New York. I grew up in the foster system, so the only family I have is my sister. We're not close at all, she's seven years older and an up and coming fashion designer. But we're on good terms, I figured when I got there I could stay with her for a bit until I figured out what to do. I guess that's not an option now."

Rain shook her head.

"The big cities were the first to go - they're swarming with infected. You either got out or..."

She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence. Sarge was nodding solemnly as she stared out the window.

"So what was your job?" Rain asked, breaking the silence after a bit.

Sarge glanced over.

"Medic. I still got my kit with me. Found another, and a few survival packs. Other than that just some food, extra clothes, and an ammo can."

"Ammo can?"

"Got my Beretta. A couple knives."

"Where were you stationed?"

"California."

The older woman paused.

"You were stationed in Cali, and you're headed to New York...what the hell are you doing so far north?"

The girl shrugged.

"Despite having spent the last year in the desert, I figured if it was just going to be myself then it probably wouldn't be a good idea to try and cross one in the middle of the summer," she replied, referring to the southwestern states. "So then I decided to go around it all together. It's not like I'm in a hurry to get anywhere."

That made sense, Rain decided.

"So you were overseas for a year?"

Sarge nodded.

"Second deployment."

"Second? How old are you?"

"Twenty-two. I've been in for five years."

"Twenty-two?" Rain asked flatly. "You don't look a day over 17."

"I get that a lot," Sarge retorted. "Usually followed by 'oh, don't worry, it's a good thing, you're so lucky'."

Rain snorted, deciding that Sarge would fit right in. The ride continued with minimal chatter.

* * *

So sorry for the wait! I know it's short, and there's no Alice in this chapter, but I've been in a strong 'apathy for writing' funk and yeah, I got tired of this just sitting around. Life's been...well life. Class is crazy still, and work, and family stuff...its just not always fun. Or conductive for writing. BUT! In our time apart, I managed to buy the Resident Evil books (the movie based books, because there are not e-books about the normal ones yet, unfortunately), and they give me a bit of creative ideas to work with in this journey...the author of course changed some details (which makes sense, I mean, why write out a movie word for word, scene for scene? You can just watch the movie and save many hours), and perhaps got some things wrong (or at least...what I think is wrong XD I'm hoping it's just some creative liberty on his part), but they weren't too bad a read. And like I said, loaded with ideas and possibilities. I may not use some, or even any of them, but it's fun to look at everything from a different perspective.

AND (tangent time), has anyone else read the newest info on the projected fifth movie? Because, WTF! According to the rumors (and I always maintain some skepticism, although some of the Afterlife rumors were pretty accurate...and these came from close to the source), Chris, Claire, and K-Mart won't be making an appearance because they get 'kidnapped' by Umbrella, and thus the movie is about them trying to be found (which is a cool story line, I'll admit, but I'm kinda biased against it, because I have this insanely large girl-crush on Ali Larter. She was actually the reason I even started watching these movies - I saw the third one first, and then I worked my way back. Now I've seen all four several times, and they grew on me). But! That's not even the WTF part. You see, according to the rumors (I lurked on the Resident Evil: Retribution page on IMDb), they're in _someway_ bringing back Carlos, One, and RAIN! Blows your mind, doesn't it? And, it's also being said that there is potential for all of the characters to be reunited (hello, a sixth movie too?). Now _that_ sounds like an epic story line - Alice, both Redfields, Leon (fifth movie), Jill, Luther (Carlos? One? Rain?) and whichever other video game characters show up, all verses Umbrella. My money's on the survivors. Now we just gotta wait five years for the two of them to come out.

- Shannon Riley


	8. Chapter 8

Alice rolled smoothly up onto the graveled shoulder, somewhere on I-95. After outracing a horde of infected in D.C. only a few hours prior, she had continued south. She figured herself to be near the North Carolina boarder, having traveled at a fairly leisurely pace. She grabbed the fuel can that was secured to the back of the motorcycle, giving it a quick shake.

It hardly splashed. With a grimace, she put what was left of the gasoline, perhaps a litre, into the tank before re-securing it to her bike.

Looks like a hunt tomorrow, she thought. She noticed that the search for gasoline was indeed becoming a hunt for an ever elusive prey.

Thankfully her bike got great mileage. Unfortunately, the gas tank was much smaller than a car, so even if she could go further on the same amount of gas, she had to fill up even more.

She lead her bike down a small incline, to where the side of the road leveled out for several yards before a row of trees, not that she was too concerned with what could be lurking inside the treeline. If anything they should be concerned about her.

She unpacked one of her two bags, unrolling a thick, wool blanket, a box of matches, and a bag of beef jerky. She would need to get more food, also, although she didn't seem to need to eat very much anymore. The second bag was miscellaneous for the most part - a weapons cleaning kit, some extra knives, a map and compass, to name a few.

Setting up camp quickly, she took a few more minutes to scavenge for rocks, to make a fire pit, and wood, to be the fire pit.

An hour later, as it was finally getting dark, she had a roaring blaze going as she studied the map in front of her. She crossed off D.C., before drawing a circle at Miami, knowing that there was an Umbrella facility near it. For the past few weeks she had been doing mostly recon, without much else. Finding Umbrella's favorite places, seeing how badly the surrounding area had deteriorated. She had to admit, it looked bleak for the rest of the population.

The radio on her bike cackled, but no words were spoken. With a sigh she took a sip from a water canteen.

Just another night. The solitude was almost relaxing.

Almost.

* * *

Rain leaned back on the hood of the truck, looking around as the sun started to set. Tonight they had settled on a valley off the side of some freeway in Pennsylvania. She looked into the cab of the truck.

Austin was playing a Gameboy, or some other handheld device, Rain couldn't care more which it was. It was a saving grace, however, with a chargeable battery pack. After raiding a shopping center's electronic store, she had found a charger that would plug into the truck, allowing the boy to recharge the small device every couple of days. It was the perfect thing to keep him occupied as they settled down for the night.

In addition to the charger, they had pilfered a handful of high-end, handheld radios, which had a range of several miles.

In the bed of the truck Sarge was finishing up her nightly process of cleaning her gun and knives. It was nothing shy of ritualistic, her concentration was honed as she wiped down the weapon, before reassembling it. Aside from their raid, the pair hadn't had any reason to use their ammo, something Rain was wary of.

Too quiet for her. She internally debated the fact for several minutes, not noticing when Sarge clambered up onto the hood next to her. The other girl tapping her shoulder broke her from her thoughts. She held out her hand.

"I stole them from Austin," she offered. Quirking an eyebrow, Rain extended her hand, accepting the handful of candies.

"Thanks," she muttered, popping one into her mouth. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Shoot," Sarge responded, crossing her legs as she turned to face the latina.

"I want to stop at a garage."

The brunette frowned.

"Something wrong with the truck?" she asked, concern clear. Rain shook her head.

"No, but it wouldn't hurt to scavenge for some other tools or spare parts either, now that I think about it."

"Then what?"

Rain jerked her head to the side, sliding off the truck. Sarge followed her around to the bed, where Rain opened the tool chest, which was almost packed full of supplies. With a small 'humph' she lifted a large object, which had taken up a good portion of the chest, and was concealed in a black, waterproofed wrapping.

"I need to find a spot welder," she finally explained, as she untied the strings. She revealed what was inside of it.

Sarge stared in shock, mouth agape.

"Holy shit. Where the hell did you get a 240-bravo?"

"Umbrella," Rain answered simply, as the other woman inspected the machine gun with a child-like admiration.

"So why do we need a spot welder?" Sarge asked, finally tearing her eyes from the weapon. Rain smirked.

"Because I want to put that, here," she said, lightly tapping the roof of the cab. "We find a spot welder, we find some scrap metal to reenforce the roof, then weld that thing to it. If we get into any problems on the road, just think - I drive," she pointed to the middle panel of the back window, which slid to the side. It was big enough that any of the three could easily fit through. "You climb onto the bed and open fire. We plow right through."

"Literally a tank," Sarge mused. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, I didn't want to try and get work done with just a 13 year old to post guard." To be honest, she would have felt fairly comfortable if she were by herself, but knowing that there was a teenager who now depended on her changed everything. "Now that you're here however, we can do it. Thing is it'll probably take the better part of a day of non-stop work, if not longer."

"Which is dangerous in it's own right," the brunette agreed. "Do you even know how to weld?"

Rain rolled her eyes.

"You kidding? I grew up around engines. I was an mechanic when I served, before Umbrella recruited me. I know my way around a garage."

"I didn't know you were in the military."

Rain nodded.

"Six years. Would have gone more, but Umbrella got me before I could re-up."

"So you got any idea where we'll find a garage?"

Rain shook her head.

"We'll have to scout out a few, clear them and secure the area. If we can get the truck inside, we can barricade ourselves in. You still post lookout on the roof or something, we can just plow any infected over when we leave."

Sarge nodded at the plan.

"Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow."

It was agreed.

* * *

Finding herself optimally functioning on just three hours of sleep, Rain let Sarge take the first watch, sleeping much easier with an actual human guard as opposed to bubble wrap. At the end of her three hours, they switched, and the younger girl got a solid five before they were up, fed, and on the road again, Austin having slept straight through the night. He was relaxed easily next to Sarge now, who had taken to the window seat, as they mostly successfully played a game of go-fish.

It was with some relief that Rain noticed the growing affection between her two companions. She had been concerned for the younger teen initially, when he had withdrawn into himself, but the young Italian seemed to bring some life and energy back into him, adopting the role as an older sister.

Nearing midday, they finally came upon a promising looking garage. It was a stand alone building, connected to a small, single leveled townhouse, but otherwise isolated on the side of the highway. Several broken down vehicles littered the lawn in front of it, and Rain pulled in, stopping far enough away from the structure to be safe.

"Stay here," she ordered the pair before hopping out of the car. She saw Sarge take out her handgun, studying the surroundings in interest.

After a thorough search, about fifteen minutes, Rain decided that the building was clear. She moved from the house, securing all lower windows and doors, before heading into the garage, also securing the much heavier door behind her. She opened the large door that would let the truck roll in, before doing just that. Door shut again, there was a small loft with a large panel of glass. Oddly fitting for a lookout, as well as an adequate light supply.

"This is perfect," Sarge commented. Rain shrugged. Perfect would be if there were a back lookout, too, but she figured that Austin could perch at the top of some of the shelving, looking through the much smaller window to the back. She explained her plan, and Austin jumped at the chance to help, carrying his own borrowed handgun up to his lookout, where he promptly settled in with the game device, occasionally looking up to check out the window as he mainly listened through the cracked glass.

Likewise, Sarge took her own lookout spot in the loft, having a good view of the entire front yard. There were two more smaller windows to either side, allowing some more light but not a whole lot of visual. Despite this, she frequently leaned over the railing, peering out to either side.

After a few minutes of searching, Rain found exactly what they needed. With a mask and gloves, she promptly got to work. True to her estimate it was several hours later, just as the sun started to fade, when she finished. She lifted the mask, wiping at the sweat with her gloves. She put the welder aside, before taking a seat on the tool chest.

After a few minutes of rest she finally spoke.

"Anyone hungry?"

Getting two positive responses, she gathered up the strength to rise from her seat, fetching three cans of food from the chest.

"Come on then."

Her companions returned from their lookout spots.

"Still clear," Sarge said, accepting the can of raviolis. She popped the lid off, using her own metal spork that she had carried through her two tours. Austin accepted the spoon that Rain handed him with the can, giving her a happy smile.

"My favorite," he said, popping open his own can and digging in, not caring that it wasn't heated. With a shrug Rain started on her meal as well, as the three settled down.

"I figure we can test the weld job in the morning," Rain said after a few bites. "Hang out here for the night, then head out."

"We shooting stuff?" Austin asked with interest. Rain smirked as Sarge outright laughed.

"Probably not kiddo," the younger woman answered. "We don't have so much ammo that we can waste it. We'll just check how well it can rotate and see if the welds will hold."

Rain nodded in agreement.

"Should be fine, but better safe than losing it halfway down the road," she agreed. Though disappointed, Austin was still interested. They finished their meal with minimal chatter, mostly the younger pair.

"Hey, get some sleep," the Italian said after Rain yawned again. "Don't worry about watch, just take over when you get up. I can nap in the car tomorrow."

Austin was nodding readily, eager to be any help.

"Yeah, we can hold down fort for one night."

With a lazy grin, Rain simply nodded at the idea. It didn't take much to persuade her at this point.

Looks like she was getting extra sleep tonight.

* * *

Extra sleep ended up being just five hours total, but it was more than she had gotten in a while. Sarge took the last three as her sleep before they set out their plans. The outside was still clear - in most cases it took more than just a day for the infected to find you, usually two, or three if you were lucky, but Rain had been concerned all the same.

Finally up, and not worrying about a strenuous watch, Rain tested the security of the welds. The machine gun didn't budge. She swiveled the weapon on the tripod, satisfied that it moved almost fully to either left and right. With a grin, she laid the waterproof cover over the weapon, securing it at the barrel and butt, as well as once towards the middle, satisfied with it's protection.

The group ate a light meal before heading out of the garage, Sarge promptly falling asleep with her head leaned against the window. Austin surprisingly had stayed up almost as long as the younger woman.

He was also passed out, using Sarge's shoulder as a pillow. Rain allowed herself the faintest smiles of contentment.

The world could go to hell, but some things would never change. The pair dozed for several hours, waking finally when Rain stopped for a late lunch. After their day of excitement, being back on the road, driving aimlessly, was almost depressing.

It was nearly a week later when their routine changed once again.

They had been driving through Texas when they came upon a smoking car. Rain slowed as they approached the vehicle, as a bespectacled man waived them down. His companion was furiously waiving a rag at the smoking engine.

"I never thought I'd see another car," the man said when the group stopped. He was somewhere in his young twenties, not very tall, with a slender build and chocolate-colored skin. He had on a pair of well worn jeans, and a dirty polo - not that Rain had any space to talk. She was fairly sure none of her crew had done a shred of laundry in weeks. At least, she and Austin hadn't, that was for sure.

"Well, belt's shredded," the other man said, aiming a vengeful kick at the front bumper of the sedan. "Great."

In perfect contrast to the first guy, he was tall and heavily muscled, tank top showing just how muscled. His hair was light, arms tanned from the sun. A large tattoo snaked around his arm right arm, a rather unoriginal viper.

Austin, Sarge, and Rain all shared a look.

"Where you headed?" the latina asked finally, taking charge.

"Away," the first said. "Everything went to hell."

"We figured it was best to get the fuck out of dodge," the second added, wiping his greased hands onto the towel he had previously been fanning the engine with.

It didn't help.

"I'm Jayson," the black guy, now known as Jayson, said. "This is Noah."

The bigger man didn't say anything, just looking at the group with irritation, especially when Rain forwent the introductions and wandered over to the slightly less than smoking engine.

"You were way overdue on your oil change," she pointed out, noting the black sludge that covered various bits of the engine. "I'd say the belt was just the last straw. I'm surprised this thing was still running."

"What the hell do you know?"

Rain turned her even stare on the man, who at least had the decency to shift.

"Cars," she said flatly. "If you want we can give you a lift to the nearest dealership. I'm sure they're not gonna miss any vehicles."

Its not like anyone would be there, she left unsaid.

"That would be great-"

"What's the catch?" Noah cut Jayson off.

Rain shrugged.

"Caravan? Safety in numbers, and all that. And I'm sure none of us are going to turn away extra eyes. What else do you got?"

"We have some food and supplies," Jayson answered easily, not having the same problem that Noah did.

"Yeah, and tech-geek here has his own personal electronics store," Noah said, none too nicely. Jayson rolled his eyes.

"Just my mac, a charger, a couple other things."

"Where the hell do you find use of a charger?" Sarge asked. "There's no electricity."

Jayson smiled a boyish grin.

"It's solar powered. Top of the line. Works for iPods too."

Sarge stared, before whipping her gaze to Rain. The latina quirked an eyebrow as Sarge nodded her approval of the pair. Austin mimicked her decision, though not quite for the same reasons.

Rain sighed.

"Get what you have, toss it in the bed," she ordered. Jayson was more than happy to oblige, retrieving a small duffel and a rather sophisticated backpack. Noah grabbed his own gym bag, as well as a bucket of what they later discovered to be the food and supplies - non-perishables and some toiletries. Noah doubled back for an aluminum baseball bat, not wanting to leave his only weapon behind. Sarge slid open the back window when they took off down the road again.

"So, either of you know how to use a gun?"

* * *

Another movie tangent (just a few months away!) - Rain, Carlos, and One are going to be colones? Sweet...much better than that flashback idea. Sorry for the wait, but hey...I've been getting little sparks of inspiration, so there's one thing, right?

Anyhow, I guess if it's not apparent, our focus is going to be more on Rain and crew for a bit, at least until the reunion. Not to say Alice will be completely wiped out, because let's be serious, how would that even work? However, she doesn't seem to have much of a story line between movie 2 and 3, just being alone on the road, so I guess we'll see where that goes.

- Shannon Riley


End file.
